278 TWO BIG DOGS AND A LITTLE ONE 



his teeth, and drew them carefully backwards. Then 

 Mrs. Osburn, sleepy though she was, began to think there 

 must be some reason for the dog's very odd behaviour, as 

 he was generally remarkably quiet in his ways. So she got 

 up, put on her petticoat, and took out of a cupboard a pair 

 of pistols, which she always kept ready loaded and knew 

 how to use. She then left her room and went downstairs 

 to see if anything was the matter. No sooner had she 

 reached the floor below than she saw her coachman, fully 

 dressed and holding a candle, coming down the servants' 

 staircase. Without stopping to ask him any questions, 

 she raised her pistol, and informed him that unless he 

 went back up the stairs that moment she would fire. The 

 coachman, who had reason to know that his mistress 

 always meant what she said, and who was, besides, 

 frightened at the discovery of his intentions, obeyed at 

 once, and the lady, feeling that sleep was impossible 

 that night, sat down in a room close by to think 

 what she had better do next. Suddenly she heard a 

 sound of low voices coming towards her, and pushing up 

 the window leaned out and fired her pistol in the direction 

 of the noise. Dead silence followed, and, after waiting 

 and listening some time, she heard no more. Then she 

 made a tour of all the lower rooms, and finding everything 

 secure there, went back to her own, taking the King 

 Charles with her and locking the door behind her. In 

 the morning, as soon as it was light, she got up and went 

 into the garden to the place from which the voices had 

 come ; there she discovered drops of blood, and followed 

 their track till they were lost at a wall at the other end 

 of the garden. She then ordered her carriage — we are not 

 told if it was the same coachman who drove her — and 

 taking the money with her, this time carried it safely 

 to the bank. She then called on Sir John Fielding and 

 asked his advice on the matter. He advised her to 

 dismiss the coachman at once, and to leave the affair in 



